How To Prevent Flu And Colds?

[MrHammer]

Since I moved to Bangkok I get sick from the cold or flu much more often. I usually never get sick and could go years without any flu and I am young. Here I seem to catch something much more often.

I highly suspect the airconditioners everywhere. I read that the humidity in airconditioners are the perfect breeding ground for virus. And with the BTS and Malls everywhere running their aircons, you're bound to catch it eventually.

How can I prevent flu's and colds? Some guy recommended taking vitamin c megadoses everyday, at least 2000 mg. There is also the gamma globulin shot which raises imune system. Any experience with that as prevention to colds?

What else is there to do? Wear a mask inside BTS?

[FBN]

Air conditioners at home are far more a cause for air contamination than those of shopping centers. There it is the exposure to people who are infected with upper respiratory tract viruses.

Wearing a mask does not really offer any protection.

Immune globulins simply don't last long enough in the body to offer any real protection either.

Adequate doses of Vitamins are necessary for a healthy immune system but such high doses of Vit. C only results in really expensive urine.

Get a regular annual flu vaccination, avoid taking antibiotics unless there is really a good reason for it.

This is a common complaint and a little research on this forum will get you loads of info from fellow sufferers..

[mommysboy]

Air conditioners at home are far more a cause for air contamination than those of shopping centers. There it is the exposure to people who are infected with upper respiratory tract viruses.

Wearing a mask does not really offer any protection.

Immune globulins simply don't last long enough in the body to offer any real protection either.

Adequate doses of Vitamins are necessary for a healthy immune system but such high doses of Vit. C only results in really expensive urine.

Get a regular annual flu vaccination, avoid taking antibiotics unless there is really a good reason for it.

This is a common complaint and a little research on this forum will get you loads of info from fellow sufferers..

There's something about the tropics that makes the body much more of a battle ground, maybe virus and bacteria like the weather too. This time of year brings about the sniffles for sure.

So really it's about following all that good advice that mum gave you, eat your greens, don't go out in the rain, don't smoke, and keep good company, big contamination areas are bars, and internet cafes. Clean living!!! urghh.

Myself, and my girlfriend, and friends too, seem to have had one long revolving cold of late, it probably started off as a virus, but out here can become bacterial, and then there's the effect of pollution to consider.

If you feel you are prone to lots of minor colds, consider whether you are suffering from allergies and the minor bacterial infections.

Regardless I'd suggest you spend more time indoors (light air conditioning only), avoid prolonged contact at street level, and start nasal rinsing. I'd also consult a doctor to eliminate the possibility that you have an allergy to something, and/or repetitive URTI.

Take it from an old hand even very healthy people get sick out here.

[moe666]

Take the c and donot believe the expensive urine crap. A study was done years ago to measure the amt of c a person excreated they collected every drop of urine and fecal matter the subjects excerted also measured the amt. of c ingested it was a measured amt.. The findings showed that the body will use the c as it needs it, some days excreation levels high and others low. There have been enough studies about vit.c showing its benefit.

Do you spend enough time in the sun during the rainey season if not take vit. d at least 2,000 mg. a day. New studies have shown the need for at least this amt of d a day if not enough sun exposure. Maximum levels of vit.d have shown to prevent flues and colds. good luck.

Go on line do your own reserch about vit.c and vit.d make your own decision.

[Sheryl]

Zinc has been shown to reduce frequency/severity of respiratory infections. Be sure to get enough on a daily basis and at the first sign of a cold or flu take supplement zinc. There is a combined preparation if zinc +m Vit C available in Thailand, I think name is Redoxan or something like that, or you can get zinc alone in cheap generic formulation.

In the west can get zinc throat lozenges but I haven't seen them here.

This will help (along with, of course, not smoking and doing what you can to minimize exposure to air pollution), but to some extent it is inevitable that after moving to a new place you will get a lot of respiratory infections for the first few years, as you will be encountering bugs your system has not yet developed immunity to.

Bangkok presents additional challenges, even locals have a lot of respiratory problems due to the poor air quality, if you are in a situation which makes relocation feasible you might want to consider it. Many, many people (myself included) have found relief ior improvement of respiratory problems by moving to areas with cleaner air.

[lioness]

Garlic - my best friend hadn't had a cold for 10 years when I asked her why she said she took garlic tablets everyday to keep colds and flu at bay. I thought I would give it a try but use the fresh sort, I use it in all savory dishes and always a few cloves, have'nt had a cold for years, since I started this .

Garlic is well know for it's medical benefits.